ACES ON BRIDGE

Today’s squeeze hand demonstrates Oswald Jacoby’s skill, and illustrates the danger of a defender painting a picture of his hand unnecessarily.

North’s two-diamond bid showed hearts, allowing Jacoby as South to volunteer a bid at the three-level over East’s ill-advised two-suited bid. West doubled four hearts for business, and the defense started with two top spades and a ruff.

East next switched to a diamond. Now, stop to envision how you might come to 10 tricks, knowing East has only minor-suit cards left. A cross-ruff will not suffice, so it must be a squeeze. What ending should you hope to achieve?

You need West to have a singleton diamond honor, bringing your trick total to nine. Then you must reach a position where East’s pitch from either minor would be fatal. In other words, you have to be able to start on either minor, depending on the defense. Here, because of North’s club void, that means that you must finish drawing trumps in hand to retain flexibility.

Jacoby won the diamond ace and carefully played a heart to the seven, followed by the heart ace. When he led a trump to his king, East was squeezed in the minors. If he pitched a diamond, Jacoby would cash the diamond king, then take a ruffing finesse in that suit. On a club discard, Jacoby could ruff out the clubs instead. This position is known as a trump squeeze.

However, try drawing trumps, ending in dummy. East will pitch three clubs, and that suit can no longer be ruffed out.

“That is the best part of beauty, which a picture cannot express.”

— Francis Bacon